Need to know
Area
Haleiwa (+2 locations) ​
​
Description
There are a lot of food trucks in Oahu and a lot of them sell shrimp. But none of them are probably as well known as Giovanni’s. A lot of butter and a lot of garlic go into their famous shrimp scampi. Oh, and heads up, you will get messy peeling them. But people wait in long lines for the privilege.
​
It’s parked next to a bunch of other food trucks, but just look for the one that’s covered in sharpied signatures and doodles from customers. The menu is short and to the point — Garlic, Lemon Butter, and “No Refunds” Hot & Spicy. And a garlic hot dog, if you’re not in the mood for seafood. Each plate comes with 12 jumbo shrimp and 2 scoops of rice.
​
There’s always lots of debate about which food truck has the best shrimp, and Giovanni’s always makes the list. They now have 3 trucks.
​
​
Website
​
​
Menu
​
​
Contact Info
808-293-1839
​
​
​
​
Location 1: Haleiwa
66-472 Kamehameha Highway
Haleiwa, HI 96712
​
Hours
-
Daily â– 10:30am - 5pm
​
​
Location 2: Kahuku
56-505 Kamehameha Highway
Kahuku, HI 96731
​
Hours
-
Daily â– 10:30am - 6:30pm
​
​
Location 3: Kaka'ako
HMart
458 Keawe St., Floor 2
Honolulu, HI 96813
​
​
Price
$ - $$
​
-
Plates: $14
-
Half Plates: $7
-
Hot Dog: $4.50
​
​
Nearby
Haleiwa​
​
-
The Beet Box Cafe — 2 min walk
​
-
Farm To Barn Cafe & Juicery — 5 min walk
​
-
Matsumoto Shave Ice — 2 min drive (14 min walk)
​
-
Hale’iwa Bowls — 2 min drive
​
-
Waimea Bay Beach Park — 9 min drive
​
-
Waimea Valley — 9 min drive
​
-
PÅ«pÅ«kea Beach Park — 13 min drive
​
-
Ehukai Pillbox Hike — 13 min drive
​
-
Ka’ena Point Trail — 15 min drive
​
Kahuku
​
-
Fumi’s Kahuku Shrimp Truck — 2 min drive
​
-
Turtle Bay Resort — 7 min drive
​
-
North Shore Tree Swing — 10 min drive
​
-
Ehukai Pillbox Hike — 11 min drive
​
-
Waimea Bay Beach Park — 15 min drive
​
-
Waimea Valley — 15 min drive
​
Kaka'ako
​
-
Bevy — 2 min walk
​
-
SALT At Our Kaka’ako — 4 min walk
​
-
Aloha Beer Company — 5 min walk
​
-
Workplay — 7 min walk
There’s a cult following for the shrimp scampi served out of this heavily graffitied food truck. Extremely messy and equally delicious.
Giovanni's Shrimp Truck
FOOD TRUCK
Good to know
PHOTOS
PACKING LIST
-
Sharpies to tag the food truck. In the past you could ask the cashier to borrow a sharpie, but not sure they’re doing that during Covid.
​
-
Wet Ones: They give you napkins and there’s a washing station at the Haleiwa location, but these are some really messy shrimp that need to be deshelled. You won’t be disappointed if you bring some wipes. ​
AMENITIES + PERKS
Haleiwa location​
-
Outdoor seating with a bunch of picnic benches and shade beneath a metal roof.
​
-
Hand wash station.
​
Kahulu
-
Outdoor Seating: A handful of picnic tables with umbrellas in front of the truck.
​
Honolulu
-
Food court tables.
TRY THE...
-
Shrimp Scampi Plate. (It's what they're known for.)
​
-
Extra garlic sauce on the rice.
TIPS + TRICKS
​All locations
-
The Garlic Hot Dog is smothered in the same garlic sauce that the Shrimp Scampi is.
​
-
All plates come with 12 jumbo shrimp and 2 scoops of rice, but they also have a ½ plate option (for ½ the price).
​
-
The shrimp come with their shells, so be ready to peel them (and to be covered in sauce by the end).
​
Haleiwa and Kahulu locations
-
Cash only.
​
-
There will be long lines. It’s just part of the Giovanni’s experience. During busy hours, you may wait 45 minutes to an hour just to place your order.
​
-
Get there when they open if you want to skip the lines. Totally an option if it’s early in your trip and you’re still adjusting to the time change.
​
-
If the lines are too much for you to take, head over to Fumi’s Shrimp Truck. They’ve got their own cult following and raise their shrimp right next to the truck.
​
-
There are a bunch of other food trucks nearby, if you want to grab dessert (or something to tide you over while you wait for your shrimp).
​
-
The Haleiwa parking lot is small and fills up during busy lunch hours. They’ll put up cones if it’s full. Get there by 11am and parking shouldn’t be a problem.
​
-
Kahulu does not have a hand washing station, but Haleiwa does. Either way, you may want to bring some wet wipes with you.
​
-
Bring a sharpie to add your name or a doodle to the trucks. In the past, you could ask the cashier for a sharpie, but not sure they’re doing that during Covid.
​
-
No restrooms at these locations, just FYI.
​
Honolulu
-
They take credit card.
​
-
You can call in your order ahead of time (808-201-3980).
​
-
There’s less of a wait at this location than the other 2.
​
-
This location is not a food truck. It’s in a food court on the 2nd floor of the H’Mart Kaka’ako.
​
-
There’s a parking garage next to the H-Mart and the first hour is free. Otherwise, street parking is an option.
DID YOU KNOW?
-
The Kahulu truck is the original.
​
-
In 1993, Ed Hernandez from El Paso, TX had a marker and decided to leave his name on the shrimp truck. At the end of the day, after they’d closed up, the employees noticed the signature and decided to leave it on the truck. The next day, a few more signatures with pictures appeared and that was the beginning of thousands and thousands of customers leaving their mark on the shrimp trucks.
​
-
In 1993, Giovanni’s got started in a converted 1953 bread truck with just a few recipes. They’d drive around the North Shore, stopping for a couple hours at a time at different stops along the side of the road. They were the only shrimp truck around. In 1996, they parked the truck where their Kahulu location is now. Eventually they had to retire the old food truck and upgrade to a new one.
​
-
They opened their 2nd food truck in historic Haleiwa in 1997. At the time, it was an overgrown, swampy field that no one wanted.
​
-
They’ve been featured on Dining on a Dime and The Travel Channel.
Last Updated 5 / 13 / 21​
This page may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, we might earn a commission. Thanks!